


Talk To Him

by Dott



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types
Genre: Emotionally Repressed, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Ignoring Feelings, LGBTQ Character, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Post-Stage Fright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27216841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dott/pseuds/Dott
Summary: When the Mystery Machine breaks down, it forces Fred and Daphne to face their biggest fears. Ghosts and goblins have nothing on unspoken crushes.~Post-Stage Fright. My take on the conversation about The Kiss because everyone has one at this point.
Relationships: Daphne Blake/Fred Jones
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Talk To Him

The Mystery Machine was out of gas, stranded on the side of a desert highway.

To any other group of young people, this might have been cause for concern, or maybe even panic. To Mystery Incorporated, it was just another weekday evening.

Shaggy and Scooby didn't even rouse from their nap when Fred gave a verdict on the situation through the van's back doors. Velma only sighed, cursed under her breath, and continued typing on the gang's laptop. Daphne idly scrolled through Twitter in the passenger's seat and glanced over her shoulder at Fred while he spoke.

One hand gripping the door, he looked down the road. "Anything nearby, Velms?"

The two of them, Fred and Velma, had worked together one day to outfit the van with its own wifi. It had been a fun little afternoon project, and it had proved time and time again to be an invaluable resource. It allowed them to research cases they were already heading towards and to find brand new ones to chase (not to mention it let Velma easily keep in touch with her long-distance girlfriend, Marcie). 

"One second, Fred." She smiled to herself, and after a few moments, he saw her click away from a chat window to pull up Google. Another round of typing later, she replied. "Alright, there's something a few miles down the road, but it's gonna be quite the walk."

Daphned asked, "What kinda something?"

"An old gas station."

"Perfect." Fred stretched. "Alright, guess I'm taking a walk today."

"Are you sure, Freddie?" Daphne pursed her lips. "It's gonna be dark before long. I don't want you to be all alone out there after the sun sets; it's dangerous."

"Well, we could always spend the night in the van, and I could get the gas in the morning."

"Ugh. Not that I don't love you guys, but if it's possible for us to avoid being packed like sardines in heat like this, I'd rather do that." She grimaced. "WIth the Mystery Machine broken down, the AC won't work."

Fred frowned. "Hmm... you're right. Well, I don't mind going by myself--"

"Out of the question." Daphne locked her phone and opened the car door. "I'm coming with you."

Before Fred could react, Velma groaned. "The wifi finally caught up to the van: dead. And I was just in the middle of a conversation."

As Daphne rounded the corner to stand next to Fred, she smiled warmly. "Marcie's not going anywhere. You could just text her, you know."

"I guess so, but the phone screen's--"

"The screen's so small. I know."

Fred added, "You wanna come with, Velms?"

"No thanks, Freddie. I don't want Abbott and Costello to wake up and think that we all vanished."

"Fair point." He clapped a hand on the shoulder of the girl next to him. "Looks like it's just you and me, Daph."

The statement made both of them freeze up for a moment; the weight of it hadn't sunk in until Fred had vocalized it.

It would be the first time the two of them had been alone since their case in Chicago. Since Talent Star had concluded. Since they caught the many, many Phantoms of the Opera House.

Since they kissed on stage during their set. In front of countless people.

They had expertly avoided being alone together in the two or so weeks since that incident. When the gang split up, they always took Velma along, and beyond that, there wasn't much opportunity for it to happen, anyway. The group had busied themselves with case after case, and Fred and Daphne had busied themselves with both ignoring each other and trying to act like everything was normal. Truthfully, they both felt like they might explode if they locked eyes with the other for any amount of time. It was like looking into the sun.

Fred withdrew his hand as quickly as he had extended it, and tucked both hands in his pockets.

Daphne stopped blinking. "Yep. Just you and me."

Velma made eye contact with her, and as Fred walked away, she silently mouthed: _Talk to him._

Talk to him. That's the only thing Velma had said to her whenever the situation was brought up. Deep down, Daphne knew she was right. Nothing would happen otherwise, and they'd just keep ignoring each other forever, and the entire gang would suffer for it.

But the thought of talking to him about it made her stomach turn. Daphne was scared of more things than she would admit, and rejection was the thing she feared most. Fred wasn't only her crush, he was her best friend, and the thought of losing him altogether was unbearable. 

She didn't want to lose the inside jokes, she didn't want to lose them remembering each other's half-birthdays, she didn't want to lose the way that holding onto each other felt like the most natural thing in the world, she didn't want to lose calling him "Freddie" and "Frederick Herman Jones" interchangeably, she didn't want to lose the way she felt like she could tell him anything (except for _this_ ), and she didn't want to lose his smile -- his real, genuine smile, not the one he used when he was masking around people he didn't know. It completely paralyzed her and made her feel more afraid than any ghost ever had.

But she would be lying if she said she hadn't thought about the kiss every single night since it happened. She would try to recreate it in her mind as the gang went to sleep in whatever dingy motel they were in for the night, catching glimpses of Fred on the other side of the room when the others shifted between them in their sleep.

Instead of telling Velma all this, she retorted out loud: "Call her. You don't have to use Discord for everything."

The two of them stuck their tongues out at each other, and Daphne joined Fred, who was grabbing water bottles from the cooler up front for each of them. 

He avoided eye contact with her and she with him as he handed the drink to her. "You got your running shoes on?"

"Yep. The comfy ones. Though I hope we do less running and more walking."

"If there's a monster out here, they're gonna have a hard time finding people to scare. A single gas station isn't even a ghost town." He smiled. "I think you're safe from running right now."

She laughed. "Probably so."

Fred shut the door and they both looked out at the horizon. Sure enough, a tiny electric sign was visible in the distance, and if one squinted, an even tinier building was visible in the fading light.

Daphne took a couple steps forward and then looked back. "Let's go. We're losing daylight, and I'd rather treat the blisters I'm gonna get from this by lightbulb instead of by moonlight."

* * *

Thirty minutes into their walk, and all they had discussed was top 40's music, pizza toppings, and one of their most recent cases: the Goose Lake Monster.

Ironically, while the monster had been a giant, ghostly waterfowl, it was duck, not a goose (a fact that the man behind the feathered mask had to repeatedly correct the gang on). Unmasking this particular villain had given Fred and Daphne enough of a distraction to shove their crushes to their usual spots in the backs of their minds for those few days; it was pretty difficult and time-consuming to catch a flying monster when Fred hadn't yet installed plane mechanics into the Mystery Machine.

And thus, they had fallen back into their routine of subconscious pining, easily ignored by never being alone together. Which is why today was throwing a wrench in their plans.

They had exhausted all of the awkward small talk topics they could think of. They had been walking in silence for the past minute or so, and for the first time in their lives, the silence was heavy.

It felt awful. Normally, their silences were comfortable and understanding, just as they were with the rest of the gang. They didn't always need to fill the space with words; they had been friends for ages, so why force conversation when they had the rest of their lives to hang out together on their eternal road trip?

But now, every passing second was weighted down by a conversation that _needed_ to be forced out.

Daphne took a sip from her water bottle to try and calm her nerves. They were both starting to get sweaty from the heat, and she had used her scarf to tie her hair back, hoping to keep her neck and shoulders as cool as possible. 

Walking a few feet ahead of her (they had drifted slightly during the break in talking), Fred had rolled up his sleeves, but there wasn't much else he could do. His hair wasn't long enough to tie back, and he had already cuffed his jeans.

Every breath Daphne took through her nose felt harsh. The skyline was wobbly from the heat, and her eyes glazed over a bit, staring at it as she walked. 

She found herself singing under her breath, barely audible, even to herself. She continued for the next few steps, but quickly stopped. It took her a moment to realize, but it was the same tune Fred had composed on the car ride to Talent Star. The same lyrics she had written.

_In my heart's a secret for only you and me..._

Her face would have flushed if it hadn't been flushed already, and she quickly glanced at Fred to make sure he hadn't heard her. 

He was looking straight ahead, completely oblivious. Good.

Daphne took a few longer strides, intending to catch up with her companion, but she briefly stopped in her tracks when she heard his voice.

Fred's voice. Singing under _his_ breath. The same tune, the same lyrics.

_I can't wait another night..._

Daphne's breath hitched in her throat. She quickly forced herself to resume walking; he'd probably notice if she stopped for longer than she had, and then he'd ask why.

She felt sick again, but she was having a hard time telling whether it was the good kind or the bad kind. 

Should she point it out? Should she bring up the fact that they had both been singing _their_ song at the same time, quiet enough so the other couldn't hear? That seemed... bring-up-able. At the very least, it was worthy of a lighthearted, sarcastic quip.

Before she could make up her mind, she noticed Fred glance at his water bottle. Empty. A brief look of concern flashed across his face. 

No, this wouldn't do.

Daphne's instincts immediately took over her brain, and she jogged up to walk beside him.

She offered her water bottle. "Here, have some of mine."

Fred blinked in surprise. "Huh? Daphne, I can't take your water."

"Yes, you can. I'm offering it to you."

"But what if you get thirsty?"

"We're not too far from the gas station now. We can get drinks there." They really weren't very far now. The sign was legible now: ' _The Last Stop_ '. No kidding.

He smiled at her, his expression signaling that they had had this conversation before. "I'll be fine, I promise." 

Daphne grabbed his hand and pulled them to a stop. Her brow was set, and her face had become very serious very quickly. "Freddie, why don't you ever let me look after you? You don't have to take care of everyone twenty-four seven, you know. Who's gonna take care of you?"

Fred's mouth parted slightly, but he had no retort. He was caught off guard. He looked at their hands, still joined, and Daphne pulled hers away in embarrassment. 

Her eyes turned downward and she softened. "I just don't want you to burn yourself out, is all. We're your friends... I'm your friend. You gotta let people do favors for you too, sometimes."

He paused for a moment, and then smiled, more sad this time. "I appreciate it, Daph. And I get what you mean." He reached out and took her hand back. "We can share the rest of the water if you want. You're right, it's not far now."

Fred squeezed her hand, and she smiled back at him. They regarded each other, and the corners of Daphne's mouth relaxed and flattened out.

She asked, "Was the kiss real?"

Both of them tensed.

He hadn't expected to hear that question right then, and she hadn't expected to ask it. It just... slipped out.

His reply was quiet. "The... the kiss?"

Daphne felt sick again. She considered retreating again, brushing it off with a "nevermind" or claiming that she misspoke and coming up with some other question that sounded similar. Was the fish a seal? Was the miss a big deal?

Then, they could go back to pretending. To avoiding.

But, along with fear, adrenaline was rushing through her body. It was out in the open now. There was no going back. 

She felt the same way she did during a monster chase. Heightened senses, ideas springing to life that wouldn't exist without the excitement and paranoia.

"We kissed, Freddie. We kissed, and we said 'I love you'." The phrase felt like electricity on her tongue.

Fred swallowed. He hadn't been able to look away from her this whole time. "Yeah. We did. We kissed during our set."

"But that's the thing. I don't know if it was just part of the set or not." Daphne suddenly pulled her hand away from him and looked forward, beginning the trek to the gas station again. "I don't know if you were just playing along with me for the performance, or if your words were genuine. If the _kiss_ was genuine."

Footsteps started behind her. "Daphne..."

Tears pricked at her eyes. She held her gaze steady. "I know you're scared, too. I can see it on your face. I _know_ you. But what I don't know is whether you're scared because you feel the same way I feel, and you don't want to mess everything up, or if you're scared because you just don't wanna break it to me." Her voice broke. "And I don't know if I want to know which one."

He didn't reply to that, but he continued to follow her. She couldn't see him, and for the first time in her life, she couldn't guess what his expression was.

"Because not knowing is easier, I think. It's easier to pretend with you that we have nothing to address between each other. It's easier than risking it. Because risking it means there's a possibility I might have to hear you tell me that it _was_ all just an act."

The gas station was only a few dozen feet away.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she complied with his silent request for her to face him. If they were anywhere but a desert, she might have broken out in a sob when she saw his eyes: concerned, tender, disbelieving, shocked, nervous. 

Fred said, "Daph, I've been feeling the same way. Why didn't you tell me you were so torn up?"

"Really? You have?"

"Yeah."

"Then why didn't _you_ tell _me_?"

"Well, I..." He trailed off. "I guess for the same reason you didn't."

They both chuckled uneasily, but returned to sincerity soon thereafter.

She tentatively placed her hand over his where it sat on her shoulder. "I'm going to need you to tell me straight up. I need to hear it. Was the kiss real?"

His face turned red. "I... it was real for me. It was all real for me. I wasn't sure about you, though." He frowned. "Wait... just to be sure, you were implying it was real for you, too, right?"

Daphne laughed again, a choked, relieved laugh. "Yes, I was. I like you a lot, Freddie."

"I like you a lot too, Daph."

For the first time in weeks, they both started to feel at ease. Their hands had naturally joined themselves between them, and all four were resting against Fred's chest. 

On cue, the glass doors to the gas station opened, and a tall, heavyset man in overalls walked out. He looked at Fred and Daphne without emotion, and the two self-consciously pulled back and crossed their arms.

As the man made his way behind the building (he was probably an employee or resident here getting something from a supply shed, or maybe a customer?), they stared at the door.

Daphne suggested, "I guess we should buy some gasoline, huh?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah."

* * *

A sudden silence fell between them as they entered, a little bell above them jingling to alert the cashier that customers had entered the building. They didn't think that the cashier would be all that interested in their relationship's development, but it was so quiet in the store that any conversation would have filled the room completely. Their elbows brushed together and they almost jumped out of their skins.

The conversation had happened so _fast_. It was disorienting having to exist like they normally did only a few minutes after mutually confessing their feelings in an, admittedly, very sudden way.

They approached the snacks and began grabbing the usual before looking for gas. Velma's favorites, nacho cheese Doritos (she was the only one in the van who preferred the originals to the cool ranch), were on the top shelf. And this was an old-fashioned store, so they still had tall, wooden shelves.

Daphne used the bottom shelf as a ladder to reach the bags. Fred rested his hand at the small of her back to support her in case of a fall. This gesture, normally an unconscious, comfortable one, was now charged with surprising warmth.

After stocking up on Takis for Shaggy and Scooby, Fred picked up a five gallon can of gas, and they approached the checkout counter. The man seated there had been fiddling with a triangular peg puzzle for the past few minutes, but he pushed it aside. 

He had a slow twang to his voice that sounded like it would more at home in Alabama than Nevada. "Will that be all for you kids?"

"Yes, sir." Fred set the gasoline on the counter, and Daphne unloaded her armful of travel-sized snack bags. 

"You know, if you need provisions for the long haul, we've got more filling foods than just chips. And there's a restaurant about thirty miles down the highway."

Daphne shook her head. "No, sir, we have plenty of food in our van. These are just to tide our friends over until we get to our next stop."

His eyes widened. "How many friends have you got?"

"Three, but most of this is just for two of them."

"Huh." Shaking his head, he began tallying up the totals. "You young people and your appetites."

Another few moments of awkward silence. Fred and Daphne didn't know where to look or what to do, so they just watched the cashier punch numbers into his manual cash register. After a few minutes, he announced the total, and Fred retrieved the gang's cash pool from his pocket.

He handed them their change, and Daphne took the paper bags he had packed for them, smiling sweetly. "Thank you, sir."

"Keep safe, younguns. I remember what it was like when me and Benny were out on our own for the first time, just married."

Daphne stuttered. "Oh, uh, w-we're not married--"

He ignored her. "Yadda yadda, the world's your oyster and everything, but make sure you've got a full tank before you head out on a long stretch next time, alright? I'd hate for y'all to get stranded again. I'm guessing that's what happened."

Fred chuckled bashfully. "Yeah."

The taller man they saw exit the store previously (presumably Benny) walked back inside. He nodded at them stoically before taking the empty seat next to the cashier. 

The two pairs parted ways as Fred and Daphne left to begin their journey back to the van, all of them waving politely as they went.

* * *

Fred balanced the gas can on his shoulder. He had offered to carry the snack bags, too, but Daphne had given him a look, and he conceded to let her shoulder that particular burden.

Now the Mystery machine was the tiny dot on the horizon. They had both started with a slow gait so they could focus on hydrating with their fresh bottles of water, but now they were at a steady pace. The extra luggage made it more difficult to keep that pace up, but the sun was setting, and the heat was less intense now, so it balanced out.

Daphne was the first to speak up. "They were sweet."

"For sure. But I don't think I could live in a place like that. I bet it gets spooky out here at night, and boring during the day."

"Yeah, but not when you're with someone you love."

He considered her words. "You know what, you're right."

Fred blushed and smiled, and Daphne felt a fluttery sense of accomplishment.

She pursed her lips. "So..."

He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "So... what now?"

"I'm not sure." 

"You know, I've been thinking about... that, for the longest time, and now it's actually happened, I'm scared in a new way now. Not in a bad way, but..."

"I get what you mean." Daphne stepped a bit closer to him. "It's like, we have to do something special for it to be true, right?"

"Yeah. And I've never really been in an... uh, relationship before, or anything like that." Fred looked straight ahead, clearly a bit embarrassed. "You've been on dates before, and you and Velma were together for a few years, so you're not exactly out of your league here. I _am_. I just don't want to mess something up."

She tilted her head affectionately. "Freddie, I'm not out of your league, and we don't have to follow a checklist. We don't have to be the same as me and Velma were. We just have to be me and you. I'm nervous, too, but not because I think you'll mess up. It's just new, and new is scary. But new is exciting, too. I don't mind just feeling things out as we go along; we don't have to rush into anything." She took his free hand in her own -- slowly, like she was testing the waters of a river she'd already sailed down. "Just having you along is enough."

He looked at her with unfiltered adoration ('unfiltered' was the only way Fred knew how to emote), and she thought she might melt. "You're really great, you know that? You always know what to say."

"Aw, Freddie..."

He came to a halt, and she wasn't too far behind him. She looked at him with questioning eyes, biting her lip apprehensively.

He set the gas can down and hesitated for a moment. "Daph, is it okay if I kiss you?"

Her breath caught in her throat again, and she nodded clumsily. The snack bags were set down beside the gas, and the two closed the space between them.

Of course, Daphne couldn't claim that Fred's lips were unfamiliar at this point. But she'd never had them all to herself before, without any third parties watching. 

It felt nice.

It wasn't the ideal second-first kiss; they both needed a shower after being in the desert for so long, and the soles of their feet ached, and they still had to get back to their friends. If they lingered too much longer, the sun would disappear, and they'd have to navigate the side of the road in the dark.

But it was quintessentially theirs. Nobody else's.

When it was over, she pecked the corner of his lips and his nose, and she felt rather than saw him smile.

Daphne rubbed the back of his neck with her thumb as their noses brushed. "You're awfully cute."

Fred kissed her again, and she let him.

* * *

The rest of the trip back to the van was occupied by their normal conversations -- not the stifled, awkward ones they'd had earlier that afternoon, much to their relief. The only difference now was that there was much more hand holding.

When they arrived back at the van, they knocked on the back doors and waited for them to open. Scooby answered: "Did you bring snacks?"

Daphne nodded. "We come bearing gifts for the newborn."

"Alright, Wise guys, fill the van up and let's get out of here," Velma's voice called from further inside the car.

The girls made eye contact, Velma's eyes silently asking for gossip. Daphne replied with a grin and a thumbs up when Fred didn't notice. Velma looked smug.

It was only a few hours to their destination: a mountain town in the middle of the state. Velma had texted Shaggy the news so Fred and Daphne wouldn't know they were talking about them, and the best friends sneakily kept an eye on the two in the front seat, but not much had seemed to change. They were acting the same as they always had: brainstorming about their next case, singing to songs on the radio they knew, and leaning on each other's shoulders. Daphne was even doing her usual routine of showing everyone in the van particularly funny Tik Toks she came across while scrolling. If anything, they were both _more_ giggly than normal.

It was a wonder something hadn't happened between them sooner. Anyone outside their friend group would have guessed that they confessed years ago.

* * *

It wasn't long before they arrived at the motel. It was evening now, but not so late that a little preliminary clue hunting couldn't be done around town. 

After Fred had taken a quick shower, he collapsed on one of the two beds in exhaustion. The others expected this; when he was up, he was able to stay chipper for an inhuman amount of time, but the moment he saw a bed reserved for him, he had to hibernate. 

Daphne shook her head at him as she toweled her hair off from her own shower she had just gotten out of; she saw him as she entered the main room, and she assumed he had been asleep the whole time she was gone. The poor guy hadn't even thought to get a blanket.

Velma closed the laptop from the makeshift workstation she had formed on the room's table while waiting for the others. "It looks like the local diner's worth checking out. The monster was first seen there, and we can interview the locals."

Shaggy clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "The diner? I'm in!"

Scooby nodded vigorously. "Me too! Me too!"

"Tonight's agenda is settled, then." Velma raised her eyebrows at Daphne. "You wanna come with us?"

"Huh?" Daphne tore her gaze from Fred to face Velma. "Oh, no thank you. I think I've had enough adventuring for one day. My feet hurt like you wouldn't believe."

"Get some rest, then. Take a hint from Fred's playbook. We need everyone well-rested tomorrow so we can check the library's archives."

"Oooh, you know I love a good archive binge."

"I know you do."

Daphne sat at the edge of the bed and flipped the TV on as the others headed out the door. Shaggy called back, "We'll save a couple slices of pie for you and Freddie!"

She grinned warmly and waved. "Thanks, guys."

Velma winked at her. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"Sure thing, Mom."

They flipped each other off with smiles on their faces, and after the door closed, Daphne began cycling through channels. After passing things like Friends and a televised Wednesday night sermon, she settled on a a channel that was playing some older sitcom called The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. She liked older movies and TV, and it would make for good background noise.

She looked behind her at Fred. He hadn't dried his hair before he laid down, and now it was the same kind of unruly it always was in the mornings before he styled it. It was amazing how something she had seen a million times before had become a million times more endearing in light of recent events.

Daphne stood up and went to the closet, hoping to find something inside. Sure enough, there were two nearly-folded throw blankets on the top shelf. She picked one up and tried to ignore how ugly the color was. 

When she crossed the room and slowly draped the blanket over Fred, he stirred. It nearly startled her; he was such a deep sleeper that she hadn't expected to see him move at all for another eight hours, at least. 

He rubbed one of his eyes with the tips of his fingers and blinked up at her, looking dazed. "Daph?"

She giggled. "Sleeping well?"

His reply was preceded with a yawn, making his voice deeper and sleepier than normal. "I'm gonna need you to tell me if the gas station and the desert was a dream or not."

"Nope. Definitely real."

"Good." He lifted the blanket with one arm like a vampire with a cape. "Wanna take a nap?"

"I don't think it counts as a nap anymore if it's 8:00."

"I don't really care."

"Whatever you say, then."

Daphne kicked off her slippers and climbed into Fred's embrace, both the blanket and his arms wrapping around her like a cocoon. She snuggled into his chest and sighed happily, wondering if his face was as warm as hers right now.

As if he had read her mind, he nestled his face against the top of her hair. "Goodnight."

It was her turn to yawn now. "Night, Freddie."

A few seconds went by, and he tensed up briefly. "Wait, Daph."

She scooted her head back a little, just enough to see his face. "What's wrong?"

"I just realized I never asked. Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"

The question made Daphne choke out a laugh, her heart flooding with fondness for his line of thinking. They had made it clear they liked each other, but they hadn't yet, in fact, made it official. It hadn't even crossed her mind; she was just overjoyed to be able to stop feeling tense around him.

She pecked him. "Only if you wanna be my boyfriend."

"I do!"

"Then it's a deal."

Fred beamed and gave her a quick kiss before they pulled each other back into their previous cuddle. "Okay, goodnight for real."

"Goodnight for real, Freddie."

They drifted off to sleep to the sound of life insurance commercials, and it was even nicer than either of them had ever daydreamed about.


End file.
